Paul Clark, age 12, of Mundelein, Illinois, for his question:

How did the St. Bernard dog yet his name?

His story dates back to the 1600s and his name comes from the high mountain pass where he worked. About 1,000 years ago, St. Bernard of rienthon founded a hospice where a lofty cleft in the Swiss Alps forms a natural pass down into Italy. The monks of his order were dedicated to the rescue and care of travelers in this harsh and hazardous terrain    8,094 feet above sea level. The pass, the monks and their famous dogs took their name from St. Bernard.          

For centuries the great dogs scouted the region for lost and snowbound travelers and toiled in countless rescue missions. Later, their work was taken over by German shepherds and nowadays these sturdy, dependable dogs are the ones trained for rescue duty. Visitors to the bleak hospice can admire the descendants of the original St. Bernard dogs, where they live an easy life in retirement.